Advice with Knuckles the Echidna?
by Let The Tumbleweeds Blow
Summary: Knuckles really isn't the brightest bulb or the most helpful echidna, so why is he helping the team with their problems? His reasons are a secret to everybody. However, what will small one mistake lead to? Characters may be OOC. Tiny plot change halfway.
1. Chivalry Is Dead!

~Guess who's back and at it again? Me, UpbeatButNegative!~

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><p><strong>I own no Sonic characters. Credits to Sega.<strong>

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><p>Since this is the last day of winter break where I live (in the time I'm typing this up), I decided to find some fanfiction to read. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any that were of my taste. It's time for me to step in with my first story of 2012!<p>

I was inspired to write this story by a YouTube video, which is what the first chapter will be about. It will be composed of several short chapters (about 1000 words each, like my old stories), so if you like this first chapter, stick around for the chapters to come!

If you don't like the pairings mentioned today, please keep it to yourself. I don't want a flame war starting. I'd like a peaceful review section. :)

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><p>Miles Tails Prower, better known as Tails, was the only boy out of his group of friends to not have a girlfriend. Sonic had Amy, Silver had Blaze, the list goes on. It could've been because he was one of the youngest, but after days of dates between the sad fox's friends, he came to a conclusion.<p>

Today, Tails will go to one of his friends for help on how to get girls. How will it turn out?

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><p>On this particular day, Sonic, Tails' best friend, was out on a date with Amy. How convenient, right? A time Tails needs him and he's away. Anyway, the yellow fox didn't sulk about his situation too much, but he did sulk about it. Today was one of those days.<p>

As Tails sat by the window in sadness, a certain echidna friend of his invited himself over to his house. He hadn't seen Tails in a while, so he figured that this would be a good time for some catching up. Knuckles found Tails looking quite upset by the window. The red one didn't do this often, but he decided to comfort the fox in his pain.

"What's gotten you so upset?" Knuckles asked him, placing his hand on his friend's shoulder. "You don't usually act like this."

"Huh? Oh, hi, Knuckles," Tails sighed. "I'm just upset with something?"

"What? Did Charmy trash your Tornado again?" the echidna guessed. "I told him not to go near that thing!"

"No, it's not that," Tails chuckled slightly, not knowing that there was indeed a certain bee lurking in Tails' lab in the backyard. "But you probably can't help with my real problem. You haven't faced it before."

"Oh yeah? What's the problem?"

"I... I..."

Tails' voice cracked slightly as he hesitated to let it out. It was simply too embarrassing.

"Out with it!" Knuckles demanded.

"I... I can't get a girlfriend," the fox muttered quickly.

There was silence.

"Have you even tried?" Knuckles asked after a long period of the stillness.

"Yes, I did," Tails told him, his voice growing slightly louder. "I've tried everything I could to ask a girl out, but they've all told me the same thing! I'm too nice! I'm too good of a guy! They only see me as a friend! I've had it! I've had enough! I'm the only guy out of all of us that doesn't have a girlfriend! Why! Why can't I get one!"

Tails stormed to his bed and threw himself on top of it. Then, he cried his poor heart out. Tears streamed down like a waterfall. Being the good friend he is, Knuckles followed him to the bed and placed his arm on his shoulder again. He thought of an idea.

"I think you're doing it all wrong," he said calmly.

"What?"

"I said that you're doing it wrong," Knuckles repeated. "Look at the rest of us. Look at Sonic. Look at Silver. Look at all the guys getting girls lately. They're not the nicest guys out there. In fact, most guys that get girls are complete assholes!"

"How does that help?" Tails asked after calming down and wiping his eyes.

"Girls love it when their boyfriends disrespect them a little," Knuckles continued. "I think it's because the assholes show their confidence, but-"

"Who cares why?" Tails interrupted him. "It works."

It isn't in Tails' character to interrupt someone, but he was desperate.

"Correct!" Knuckles responded. "Here's what you do. Next time you see someone cute, instead of holding the door for them, you let it slam right in to their face!"

"I'm getting it so far," Tails responded.

"Insult her a little," the fox's friend continued. "Win every argument. If another girl rejects you, push them right to the ground!"

"Of course. That makes sense," Tails remarked.

"Then, you take whatever's around you and beat her with it, to vent your feelings to the rejection, instead of taking it!"

"Yeah!"

"If she ain't dead, throw her on the road and let a car or something run her over!"

"Yeah! Yeah! That's it!"

Knuckles handed Tails his Shovel Claws while saying, "if she still isn't dead, slash her with these to finish the job!"

"Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Now I understand!" Tails was growing more and more confident by the second.

"And finally, in court, you plead guilty to all counts of murder!"

"That's it!" Tails finally shouted in happiness. "I get it now! Thank you, Knuckles! I'm ready now!"

"Go get her!" Knuckles grinned, fist pounding his fox friend.

"I will!" Tails yelled, jumping out the window and spinning his tails to fly away.

Watching him go made Knuckles proud. However, he soon snapped back into reality. It was all going according to plan. He let out an evil laugh as he took out a piece of paper and a pen.

The piece of paper had some of Knuckles' friends written on it. On top of the list, it read, 'Revenge List.' After removing the lid of the pen, the echidna crossed out his fox friend's name.

"Yes," he mumbled to no one in particular. "So far, so good. Tails must have been desperate to fall for my advice. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Knuckles tilted the tip of his pen downwards and stopped at the next name. The next target. The next victim.

Silver the Hedgehog!

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><p>I hope you all enjoyed that story. It was a lot of fun to write. If you didn't like it, it'll be back. It'll return to the top of the list of submittedupdated Sonic fics over and over for a while.

Mu ha ha ha ha ha h- *cough* *cough*

~Have a great day, week, fortnight, month, whatever~


	2. Show Her Who's In Charge!

**I own no Sonic characters. Credits to Sega.**

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><p>It took quite a while to think of this, but it was so simple!<p>

Enjoy!

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><p>Knuckles knew who his next victim would be. He decided to take some time to think about what he should do with him.<p>

He sat on Tails' bed and thought of a plan, but was what he did to his fox friend the right thing? Should he feel guilty for potentially putting him in prison?

Nah!

"He talks too much, anyway," the echidna told himself. "He has a big mouth and I can't understand half of his explanations! The others should really be glad I got rid of that annoyance. I now know what to do to Silver. Time to put my plan in motion."

Suddenly, Knuckles heard a rumble. It came from his stomach. Knowing that he was hungry, he made his way to Tails' fridge, hoping for some tasty grapes. However, what he found was not what he wanted.

"I guess he never had a good sense of taste anyway" he grumbled as he made his way back home.

While he did so, a white hedgehog sat by a tree next to his home, looking quite stressed. He just came back from a date with a certain cat, but it didn't go too well. An argument sparked between the two and they left each other, canceling the date.

"Why does Blaze always treat me like a child?" Silver groaned to himself. "Does she think I can't take care of myself?"

Knuckles heard this on his way home. He grinned. He knew that the voice belonged to his next target.

He always thought that Silver was 'immature,' he would put it. The hedgehog's attitude would sometimes start fights, particularly with Shadow.

"Of course, Silver gets his ass kicked every time," Knuckles once said. "He needs Blaze too much. I mean, he needs her all the time. He's so insecure when he's alone!"

Another reason Silver was Knuckles' next target was because he was quite naive. Blaze may like it, but not Knuckles. Also, Silver' has a short temper.

"And everyone says I get angry too much," Knuckles would sometimes say.

But enough back story. Time to return to the main event.

Knuckles heard Silver's groans on his way home. He grinned. It was time to set his plan in motion. The echidna walked over to Silver with a concerned look on his face.

"What's wrong?" he asked him.

"My date with Blaze went horrible," Silver sighed.

"Why?"

"We had an argument because she didn't think I could take care of myself," he told Knuckles. "And she called me immature. Why does she think this of me?"

_Maybe because you are immature and can't take care of yourself... _Knuckles thought.

"She just sees your bad qualities," he said, placing his hand on Silver's shoulder. "It sounds like you need to overcome them."

"How?"

"It's time for you to man up!"

"But how?"

"First, can you go out in the dark on your own?" Knuckles asked.

"Well, no," Silver confessed.

"Well, you gotta do just that! I've arranged for someone to scare you. I won't tell you who it is, but you gotta face up to them! I'll record everything and show the footage to Blaze. Then, she'll know that you can take care of yourself and how manly you are!"

"That sounds like it'll work!" the psychic hedgehog smiled. But his smile grew into a frown. "But Blaze isn't one to fall for tricks. What if she says to me that it's fake?"

"She just wants to be in charge of the relationship," Knuckles said. "Don't you see the assholes with girls lately?"

"What about them?" Silver asked curiously.

"It's because they're assholes that they're in charge," Knuckles explained. "Now, what you need to do is tell Blaze that you will not be stepped on over and over again."

"Then what?"

"Even if she buys your behavior, you have to prove it!"

"Hmmm... I see," Silver remarked.

"First, you act like an asshole around her!"

"That might get the message across," Silver smiled.

"When she says she can't take anymore, you use your psychic powers to throw her across the side of the road!"

"Prove my strength against her? Interesting..."

"Then, if she doesn't get the message, you grab a car with your powers and slam it on her body over and over!"

"What next?"

"If she still doesn't buy it, throw her in the sea and hold her there!"

"Drown her?" Silver gasped. "But-"

"Do you wanna take charge?" Knuckles reminded him.

"Yeah..."

"Then listen up! Anyway, after a while, bring her back up! Check to see if she's alive. If she is, take my Fighting Gloves and beat her up!" the echidna told him, handing out his gloves.

"That'll teach her!" Silver called out.

"If she's still alive, then bring her to the hospital and confess to the cops!"

"What if she's dead?"

"Physical strength isn't really your strong point," Knuckles told him. "So it won't kill her. Anyway, after that, ask them to execute you! If they refuse, pull one of their guns away and finish yourself!"

"Then I won't have to deal with Blaze being stubborn!" Silver yelled.

"That's right!" his echidna friend agreed. "Now, are you ready!"

"I sure am!" the hedgehog answered. "Thanks, buddy!"

And so, Silver took off, to show his girlfriend who's in charge!

Knuckles had an evil smile on his face as soon as the hedgehog was out of sight. Silver would either be ridiculed for the rest of his life, or dead. The echidna would be the one to scare him. A camera would be hidden in his mask to record his reaction.

"He's so naive," Knuckles mumbled. "But it actually came in handy. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

'Silver the Hedgehog' was crossed off of Knuckles' Revenge List. Below his name was the next to die.

Wait. Isn't he too young to die?

Knuckles didn't care. He wanted everyone on the Revenge List away from him permanently, dead or alive.

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><p>And the simple answer to my dilemma (what the next chapter would be) was slightly altering a previous idea! Don't worry. It'll get interesting soon enough!<p>

~Have a great day, week, fortnight, month, whatever~


	3. The Gamer Who Sucks At Video Games

**I own no Sonic characters. Credits to Sega.**

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><p>Time to resume my 'thank yous.' I haven't been thanking people who've subscribed to my story, added it to their favorites or replied to some reviews in a long time and it seems kinda mean, so here we go!<p>

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><p>Before I begin, I'd like to thank Starla Nova Nebula, bogey654, Cosmo7Tails and RachieFly to subscribing to this story.<p>

Reply to Cosmo7Tails' review of Ch 1: You could say that the 'Nice Guys' video is a reference, but I'll send you a link to the video that did inspire me to write this story! Just let me know if you need it!

Reply to Tails Is FLUFFY's review of Ch 1: Silver's gone nuts, too! And soon, everyone we know and love will succumb to Knuckles advice!

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><p>This chapter suggests cruel things to do to children near the end of it, but I don't support it myself! Look at the summary!<p>

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><p>Charmy Bee was quite the video game addict. Before and after every case (which is quite uncommon, considering their past investigations), he would throw himself onto his bed after switching on one of his many consoles and let his brain rot away and his eyes redden. However, Charmy isn't really the best gamer out there. Did I say that? I mean he sucks. He really sucks. Once, he lost on a tutorial stage!<p>

He doesn't have the best control over his temper, either. Anytime he lost a life/lost all of his health/got a Game Over, he would scream - some times louder than others. This always interrupted Vector the Crocodile while he listened to his music.

The reptile would sometimes storm in and yell, "Keep it down! I'm trying to listen to the tunes!" He would then turn back to his room and mumble to himself, "That guy really needs a 'professional' anger management teacher."

Little did the Chaotix know, on that particular occasion, a certain echidna was spying on them from the window, holding his pen and paper. They didn't need to be used yet; they were out in his hands for the purpose of looking evil.

"All I need is an evil costume," Knuckles smirked to himself before slowly ducking down.

It was time once again for a plan to take action. Under a bush was a video game in its case, but not just any video game. This was a game that attracted the attention of many kids Charmy's age. Once they started playing, they couldn't stop. It was a curse to bear for all owners. Knuckles knew of this and made this part of the plan against Charmy because the bee was quite the annoying one. Not just to him, but for others as well. There were many other negative qualities that pissed him and everyone else off, but in a sense, he would be doing a helpful thing for his friends.

He picked it up and wrapped it. Then, he knocked on the door of the Detective Agency. It opened to revealed Espio the Chameleon, the only sane member of the team. Even then, he had quite a fetish for ninjas.

"Greetings, Knuckles," the lizard said. "What do you seek?"

"I need to find Charmy," Knuckles told him. "Is he in his room?"

"As always," Espio sighed. "Must he yell so loud when he's defeated?"

"Well, I have something that might help with that," the teen with dreadlocks lied. He began to enter the one floor building. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll give it to him now."

"As you wish."

Knuckles passed the messy living room and the untidy kitchen. Vector greeted and fist bumped him, the same actions being the response.

"What's that you've got there?" the croc asked him.

"Just a gift for Charmy."

"Really?"

"I haven't been too kind to him recently, so I decided to give him a gift to make up for it."

Knuckles said nothing else as he passed his friend and arrived at Charmy's door. What he heard was ear piercing, to say the least. After much hesitation, he opened the door to find his friend in a state of rage.

"Why! Why is this game so hard!" the insect roared.

"Woah! Calm down, Charmy!" Knuckles told him. "Just sit down and let me give you something!"

"Okay!" Charmy suddenly grinned.

He flew to his bed and awaited Knuckles' gift.

"Are you good at video games?" the echidna smiled at him.

"Why are you being so creepy?"

"Just answer my question."

"Fine," Charmy sighed. "Well, I really like playing them. it's just that they're too hard! I am pretty good." That was a lie. "But I keep losing and losing! What's your gift gonna do, give me powers or something?"

"Actually, yes!" Knuckles replied.

"Say what?" Charmy asked, confused.

Knuckles tore the wrapping paper up and revealed in his hands a video game. The case showed a soldier holding a gun. It was rated 'For Adults.'

"Have you ever heard of this game?" he asked.

"No. What is this game about?"

"There's a single player story mode and many multiplayer modes," Knuckles began to explain. "But no one cares about the story? This game will improve your gaming skills, but the only way to do that is to play the online modes!"

"Really?"

"Yes, but be warned, my friend," Knuckles said, mocking Espio's voice. "Once you start, it will be difficult to stop. Will you take the risk?"

"Yeah!" Charmy yelled. "I don't care if the game's addicting or not! I'll get better at video games and I won't have to get angry anymore!"

"That's the spirit, Charmy!" Knuckles responded, back in his normal voice.

"Thanks, Knuckles! Thanks so much for the game!"

Knuckles left the agency with an evil smirk on his face. His plan had been set in motion.

"Charmy will ignore all of his friends," he mumbled to himself. "And then, he'll be so addicted to that game, he'll think the world revolves around it! He'll attempt one of the tricks in the game. Then, bye bye, bee! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

'Charmy Bee' was crossed off the list. Below the name was Knuckles' next victim - the first female victim. For a long time's she's had quite an obsession for something; more like, someone.

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><p>Sorry I haven't been updating as much as I would have liked to. School's been particularly merciless on me with the truck loads of homework. I just couldn't work up the urge to type up my chapters because there were so many pieces to complete.<p>

I won't update really quickly to make up for it, then update in similar amounts of time from each other. I wanna slowly get back into it.

~Have a great day, week, fortnight, month, whatever~


	4. She Keeps Getting In The Way!

**I own no Sonic characters. Credits to Sega.**

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><p>Before I begin, I'd like to thank Tails is FLUFFY for subscribing to this story and bogey 654 for adding it to their favorites.<p>

Reply to Tails Is FLUFFY's review of Ch 3: As you'll soon find out, no, the Master Emerald won't be involved.

Reply to bogey654's review of Ch 3: It could've been either, but the huge number of people that like COD was on my mind when writing the chapter.

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><p>I think a lesson can be learned in this chapter. Not much else to say.<p>

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><p>No one knows the truth about how Sonic finally became Amy's boyfriend. Some (well, just Cream and Big) say that the hero fell in love with her ever since they met, but he wouldn't confess. Others (well, just Shadow and Omega) say that Sonic just gave in to Amy annoying him over and over and became her boyfriend so she wouldn't piss him off anymore.<p>

Whatever the case was, Amy became even more annoying than before. The pink hedgehog, finally in the relationship, wanted to spend every moment of her life with Sonic. She would follow him in his daily jogs. She would follow him when stopping Eggman's plans. She would even follow him in the bathroom!

Okay, so she restricted herself from that, but that was all!

This was a problem for Knuckles. Every time he wanted to hang out with Sonic, Amy would be in his way. The boys could never play video games with each other in peace. This was a reason why Knuckles didn't like Amy. She just got in the way. There were other qualities, but they weren't the main concern.

Sonic would have to dedicate most days to getting his girlfriend off his back. Sometimes, he wondered why he became her boyfriend, but he finally had enough. Knuckles told him a plan to get away from her.

Yeah, he had the Revenge List scheme planned even before then.

One day, Sonic asked Tails, "How do you make poison?"

"Why would you wanna know?" the fox frowned.

"In case Eggman has something up his sleeve again," the hedgehog lied.

"Ah. That makes sense. Let's begin, shall we?"

Sonic paid attention to every detail (for once) and when he was done, he went to Cream to ask her for a cookies recipe. With the tools needed for the job, he began 'Operation: Get Your Girlfriend Off Your Back!'

He gave the finished (poisoned) cookies to Amy and she became seriously ill. This was Sonic's chance to get away. Even Amy knew better than to go looking for him in her condition. Tails used his knowledge of science to cure her in only a couple of days, but Amy went in a depressed state that would last three chapters.

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><p>Phew. Long backstory, huh? Well, every detail needed to be included.<p>

Anyway, Knuckles once again became out of character and visited Amy.

"Oh, it's you, Knuckles," the hedgehog frowned.

"I've heard that you've been down lately," the echidna replied. "So I've decided to comfort you."

"Really? Cream and Tails are usually the first ones to be here."

"Oh, I'm sure they have important things to do," Knuckles grinned evilly, remembering what he did to them (well, what he did to Tails; Cream was out of town with her mom). "Uh, never mind! I'm coming in now."

He did just that, to see the hallway filled with photos of Sonic.

_Wow. That girl has an obsession..._ Knuckles thought to himself as Amy led him to the living room.

The two talked about the situation and the echidna remembered his plan.

"It's not like him to leave me like this," Amy claimed.

_Yes, it is... _Knuckles thought. "He must have his reasons," he said.

"No one knows where my Sonic's been," the pink hedgehog sighed in sadness. "I miss him so much..."

She felt a tear fall across her cheek. Then, she buried her face in her hands and sobbed quite loudly. After all, that girl is lovesick. Knuckles couldn't take it much longer, so he decided to start the plan. The plan would include taking advantage of Amy's determination and her love for Sonic.

"You know what I think?" Knuckles suddenly smiled, placing an arm on her shoulder.

"What?" Amy mumbled after calming down.

"Sonic could be searching for something."

"Like what?"

"I've heard of a gem," Knuckles fibbed. "A gem that shines brighter than the Chaos Emeralds themselves. There's only one in existence, but it's hidden in an ocean. No knows which one, though."

"So?"

"So, Sonic may have gone scuba diving in lots of different oceans to find the gem to give to you!"

At that moment, Amy's dazzling smile returned.

"Really?" she gasped in excitement. "He would go through all of that just for little me? Wow! He's so romantic!"

"Yep," Knuckles 'agreed.' "And I'm sure he wants you to be there when he finds it."

"You think?"

"Yep! Now, c'mon! Grab your scuba gear and search for your Sonic!"

"You're right, Knuckles!" Amy declared. "I should look for my love!"

At that point, she rushed to her room and came back downstairs less than ten seconds later with the gear.

"Thanks for cheering me up and telling me where Sonic is!" Amy grinned.

"No problem!" Knuckles grinned in response.

The two of them left the house and went their separate ways. It was then that the echidna grinned evilly once again as he took out the list and pen. 'Amy Rose' was crossed off the list.

"She fell for it," he mumbled to himself. "What a dumbass. Sonic hates scuba diving. She'll search for an eternity, if she lives that long. She'll drown and no one will be around to get her back. Then, that'll be the end of her bitchiness! Ha ha ha ha ha!"

The next victim on the list was a most unlikely target. What did she do to him? Well, it's more about how she acts.

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><p>If you haven't figured it out yet, the lesson is this: give your girlfriendboyfriend some space every now and then and don't get in the way of their friends. Otherwise, they will... dispose of you...

~Have a great day, week, fortnight, month, whatever~


	5. Not Only Nice Guys Finish Last!

**I own no Sonic characters. Credits to Sega.**

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><p>Reply to WinterMuffin's review of Chapter 4: Yes, it is fun to guess, isn't it? Well, there is that moment of stupidity when you find out who it is (you MAY slap yourself over that), staying up all night guessing (which in turn, will screw you over the next day) and blurting out stuff related to this fic in school instead of the classwork (which MAY get you sent to the principal). Not to mention, it will keep you off homework (which means trouble!).<p>

You know what. Never mind. Anyway! To your second point, as you'll find out today, no, the next victim won't be Rouge.

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><p>This is a chapter that suggests bad things to tell children. Once again, I don't approve of Knuckles' advice.<p>

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><p>There was one thing about one of Knuckles' younger friends that really pissed him off. To him, it would eventually lead to the end of everything.<p>

She was just too nice.

Even during Eggman attacks, the young girl still kept up her polite personality. She wouldn't do anything to harm anyone, verbally, physically or in any other way. And that was what pissed Knuckles off.

She was also too trusting.

Her naive nature was up there with Silver's. Sometimes, Eggman would trick her into being taken hostage and the gang would have to go and save her. It pissed Knuckles off because he had more interesting things to do.

Nearly everything about her just made Knuckles' blood boil with spite. That 'friend' was Cream the Rabbit.

Her pet chao, Cheese, was also a pain the ass to the echidna. Is it a boy or a girl? What the hell? Also, that high pitched squeaking (common with all Chao) sounded like nails on a chalkboard to poor Knuckles. Since Cream and Cheese were rarely apart, the problem was made worse.

Cheese was just a kiss ass to Cream in nearly every way. Whenever 'it' could, it would follow her everywhere. It was just as polite and naive as the rabbit friend.

Great. Not one, but two speed bumps each in the roads known as the lives of Sonic and the gang.

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><p>Knuckles was about to begin his plan, but he felt a rumble from his stomach. After looking at the time, he decided to grab a bite to eat. After that, he decided to visit Tails in prison. He needed his Shovel Claws back for the plan.<p>

After the little break from getting rid of his 'friends,' he stood on top of his home, looking for Cream's home with his telescope. He turned round and round until he spotted a basic, beige colored house. This was the place.

He jumped off the roof, spread his body out like Superman and began to glide across the town. After a minute, Knuckles landed in front of Cream's door. he knocked on it and waited. When it opened, the young rabbit was there, with a bright smile on her face. Her mother, Vanilla, was still out of town, so the plan could take action without interruption. Cream invited Knuckles in the house.

"So, what brings you here?" she asked him in her slightly high pitched voice. Some found it cute, but Knuckles definitely wasn't one of them.

"I wanna talk to you about something," the echidna said.

"Really? Did I do something wrong?" Cream frowned.

"What?" No!" Knuckles laughed. "I just wanna talk."

He invited himself to sit on the green sofa in the decorative living room and it was surprisingly comfortable. Cream threw herself next to him on the same seat.

"Okay, so what do you want to talk about?" she asked. "The weather? Planning a picnic with the others? Maybe-"

"No," Knuckles interrupted her. "I wanna talk about you," he added bluntly.

"So, I did do something wrong." Cream was about to sob and beg for forgiveness.

"No! I just said that you didn't do anything!" Knuckles nearly yelled. Then, he cleared his throat. "It's how you act."

"What's wrong with it?"

"Don't you think you're being too nice to people?" the red echidna questioned Cream.

"Isn't it a good thing?" she wondered out loud.

"Well, it can be. But it has its problems."

Just then, a chao with a red ribbon entered the room. it chirped happily as it saw Knuckles.

"Oh, hi, Cheese," he groaned slightly. "Take a seat. I need you and Cream for a few minutes."

The chao did as it was told and flew into Cream's arms. It felt quite warm in there, but that's not the point.

"As I was saying, being nice can have its problems," Knuckles began. "If you keep it up, people will just use you for their own personal gains."

"Gosh. I didn't think of it that way," Cream gasped. "Mother didn't warn me of that before."

"Chao chao..." Cheese chirruped, intrigued.

"How's your self esteem?" Knuckles asked. "People will think it's low if you keep being polite and sweet and all that cr- stuff."

"Really?"

"Chao?"

"They won't think you can't stand up for yourself," Knuckles continued. "Do you wanna stand up for yourself? Have you ever stood up for yourself?"

"Well-"

"No! Not for your friends! I mean, YOU!"

"If that's it, then no. No, I haven't," Cream sighed. "It must feel good to get respect for that."

"And I have the perfect solution for it!" the echidna lied. "Step One: Say no!"

"No?"

"Yes. No. Step Two: If you get told off for it, hit them really hard."

"Hit them?" Cream gasped. "But that's wrong!"

"Do you wanna get respect?"

"Well-"

"Then, listen up! Step Three: If you get hit back, then take my Shovel Claws and shred them!"

He handed the rabbit the digging tools, which were covered him blood for being used as a weapon. Cream was shocked to see that condition, but Knuckles assured her that it made them look cool. Cheese was jealous that it didn't get a weapon, so Knuckles handed over an Uzi from GUN.

Cream was about to scold her chao for holding a weapon, but when she looked at the Shovel Claws, she realized that would be a bit hypocritical.

"W-what d-do I d-do n-n-next?" the rabbit stuttered. She was afraid of weapons, but having some straight in front of her horrified her.

"Get ready to see Tails in prison!" Knuckles grinned. "Now get out there and earn respect!"

He proceeded to push Cream and Cheese out of the house.

"But, Knuckles! I don't know who to start with!" the rabbit told him.

"Hmm... How about Shadow? He's kinda creepy to you, but you need to learn to be brave, too!"

Cream and Cheese then smiled.

"Two for the price of one!" the rabbit joked. "Thank you, Knuckles!"

And so, the two friend started their journey to become respectable badasses.

Meanwhile, Knuckles made a call to Vanilla and made up a lie to cover for it.

Then, he crossed Cream and Cheese's names off the list.

The next person on the list had an obsession with a certain occupation. The person below also had an obsession, but for something pretty valuable to him. They were two easy victims.

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><p>Yeah, so everything took place in one morning so far. Now you know the continuity between the chapters! Yay!<p>

*a crapload of fireworks go off*

For those of you wondering how long this story will be, it won't cover every single Sonic character (it'll only be the main crew, plus one or two others), so it won't be too long.

~Have a great day, week, fortnight, month, whatever~


	6. A Two For One Special

**I own no Sonic characters. Credits to Sega.**

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><p>Before I begin, I'd like to thank AndrestheAuthor for subscribing to this story.<p>

Reply to WinterMuffin's review of Chapter 5: Nothing's ever what you expect it to be, is it? Take it from me. I know from experience.

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><p>Today, Knuckles will take down two victims in one chapter! That's right, it's a two for one special! Enjoy!<p>

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><p>If there was one thing Espio the Chameleon had a love for, it was ninjas. He always admired what they could do and how they acted. This love was fueled when Espio was introduced to a certain TV show. He was once quite the hothead, but even since laying eyes on that show, he trained himself in the arts seen and became the most disciplined member of Team Chaotix in a matter of days.<p>

The fact that the chameleon changed who he was put Knuckles off, but over time, it began to really piss him off. Espio was now the silent one and quite the shady type. Also, his love of ninjas was painfully obvious. Knuckles didn't like that change. He had enough, so he decided to get rid of him.

Meanwhile, Vector the Crocodile had an obvious obsession for money, whether in the form of bars, notes or the simple rings. Added to his bad temper and the fact that he worries about too much things too much of the time, it just bothered Knuckles.

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><p>After the recent progress with the plan, Knuckles looked at his list, quite glad about who his next victim was. To tell the truth, he wasn't the biggest fan of ninjas. In fact, he hated them. He thought of them as show offs and questioned their methods of combat. To him, they were quite the cheaters. But that's not the point.<p>

In the game case Knuckles gave Charmy was a fake map, a surprisingly convincing looking fake at that. Part of Knuckles' plan was to manipulate Espio's love for the ninja arts. The map contained directions to a ninja camp. It was time to give the map to Espio, so Knuckles strolled down the town to return to the Detective Agency.

To the hothead's surprise, in front of the door was the map. What Charmy did before he found himself in a better place (which was only about an hour after he got the game!) was throw the map outside after he saw it. He wasn't the most hygienic member of the team, either, so that was helpful to Knuckles. He wouldn't have to check the trash! Anyway, he picked up the map and knocked on the door, with the map behind his back.

The door opened to reveal the purple chameleon himself, quite surprised to see his friend after what has only been a couple hours.

"What a pleasant surprise to see you after only a couple hours, my friend," he greeted Knuckles, regardless. "How can I help you?"

"It's not what you can help me with," Knuckles responded with a smirk. "It's what I can help YOU with."

"Explain."

"Of course, but first, we'll need to be alone for a while."

"I see. Come with me to the basement."

Knuckles did as Espio said and followed him tot he basement. Along the way, he exchanged more greetings with Vector, but for now, he wasn't important to the plan. The basement door in Espio's room was decorated with carvings of ninja weaponry. When Espio opened it, however, the staircase and the room revealed themselves to look pretty basic.

Knuckles shut the door behind him and continued to follow his chameleon friend down the stairs and the two took seats around the table.

"So, what is it you can do for me?" Espio asked Knuckles.

"Take a look at this map," he answered, placing the chart on the table.

Espio could see that the starting point was the front of the Detective Agency and the dotted line led all the way out of town and to a forest with the name of the ninja camp. That took him by surprise.

"Hmm... So it seems they've made a tribute to my favorite television show," Espio mused.

"Yes, they did!" Knuckles lied. "They've been open for a long time. Everyone and their grandparents come at this time every year."

"What activities are set up there?" Espio asked, intrigued.

"Ninja training courses," Knuckles answered. "It's really difficult, but I'm sure you can do it! Besides, you need a break from the detective crap. After just a month, when you come back, you'll be ready for anything!"

"Sounds like my type of fun. Very well. I'll take my leave for this training camp."

Espio turned to leave the basement and head for his room to pack his things, but Knuckles stopped him to tell him that he should take Vector along.

"May I ask why?"

"Um..." Knuckles didn't really think this through. Vector did have an obsession with something, but what?

After a while, just as Vector was gonna grab the handle of the basement door, the crocodile heard Knuckles say, "There's some treasure along the way!"

Suddenly, the detective leader swung the door open and leaped over the stairs in excitement, only to crash into the table and break it.

"Treasure! Where!" he yelled.

If Vector's name wasn't on the Revenge List, Knuckles would tell him to forget about it and he was joking. However, the croc's been known for pestering Shadow about a certain computer room. Not even the Ultimate Life Form could tolerate even one minute of it, so something was definitely bad!

Knuckles explained everything and added the 'fact' that whoever does the best in the 'training courses' would win medals and of course, money!

"Wow! Let's get outta here, Espio!" Vector shouted in excitement. "We've got treasure to find and more treasure to win! See ya, Knux! Tell everyone we said bye!"

And so, the two remaining members of Team Chaotix quickly packed their things and rushed to the 'camp.' And 'treasure.'

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><p>"Hah! Maybe you can finally buy yourself a computer room, Vector!" Knuckles grinned to himself. "Just make sure you get it before you find yourself in that computer room in the sky! Ha ha!"<p>

Once again, Knuckles laughed his evil laugh and crossed Espio and Vector off the list. However, his laughter suddenly stopped as he laid eyes on the next victim's name...

_No... Not..._

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><p>How's that for a cliffhanger? Ha ha!<p>

...

Yeah, I'm an asshole for ending it off on a cliffhanger. But, hey, we all do it! Admit it. You've ended things on cliffhangers before. C'mon, I can tell you're lying.

~Have a great day, week, fortnight, month, whatever~


	7. The Mistake: The Turning Point

**I own no Sonic characters. Credits to Sega.**

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><p>Reply to bogey654's review of Chapter 6: Cliffhangers are cliches and cliches are a part of life. We should all get used to it before it's too late. :)<p>

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><p>Knuckles is actually pretty reluctant to take out this chapter's victim, but who could it be? After another two weeks of waiting, ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, babies and elderly, find out today!<p>

Just as a heads up, this chapter will contain some character bashing I don't believe in. It was added for humor, so don't take it seriously. Enjoy!

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><p>Knuckles can be quite loyal sometimes, but this time, he showed his loyalty to the Revenge List. All of his friends have pissed him off so much in one way or another and that's why he planned this whole story out.<p>

The biggest flaw in Knuckles' plan, however, was the fact that he didn't plan out the list carefully enough. In fact, nearly no thought at all was put into deciding who to take out first, second or anything after that until last because it was considered something to not think about first. Despite this, Knuckles had to stick with what he had, showing his loyalty each time. The show had to go on!

Taking Charmy out was probably best part of the plan, so Knuckles wanted to save it for near the end. But he didn't think it through, so he just went with it.

Why was this a problem?

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><p>After getting rid of Espio and Vector, Knuckles laughed his evil laugh and crossed their names off the list. However, his laughter suddenly stopped as he laid eyes on the next victim's name...<p>

_No... Not... him..._

The echidna shook his head in disbelief. He was beginning to regret not thinking over the victim order.

_Not... Shadow!_

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><p>Shadow the Hedgehog. The Ultimate Life Form. Some consider him the badass version of Sonic. Others consider him the emo version of Sonic. Either way, there was a huge fanbase surrounding him, most of which are girls! That was what made Knuckles hate Shadow. He believed he should get the girls. He became a part of the tieam before Shadow! Didn't the girls consider that?<p>

Bitches. The lot of them. By ridding the world of Shadow, the world would also be rid of annoying fangirls.

Shadow sometimes sat out in times when everyone would join together for some fun to look into the sky and think about Maria, his dearest friend before her horrible fate. It bugged everyone that he was still thinking about her like that because what's been done in past is over, but also because it made him look emo.

What started as simply annoying Knuckles grew into enraging him. he had enough and wanted to get rid of him.

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><p>The problem was that Shadow was very cunning, so it would be very hard to topple him over, but knuckles had to stick to the plan. He didn't believe in changing plans for his own desire, so he sat on Vector's chair and drew plans of what to do with Shadow.<p>

After an hour of many scrunched up sheets of paper being thrown in the bin, he finally came up with something.

Knuckles remembered stealing a photo of Shadow and Maria during the Christmas party last month, one Shadow treasured dearly. Ever since finding it missing, the hedgehog looked slightly more upset than before.

Knuckles decided to use the photo as bait for an ejection trap that could send someone halfway around the world.

Before sending Tails to jail, he spent a week building the trap (with Tails' blueprints, of course) When it was complete, he covered it with ordinary grass that matched that of the park. No one knew what was under there, which was a good thing. After retrieving the necessary picture, Knuckles glided back to his creation in the center of the park and unveiled it.

It was simply a dark green tile with a black frame around it. Knuckles was happy with it and called Shadow over to the park. Before the black hedgehog arrived, the echidna placed the picture on the trap.

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><p>A few minutes later, the moment had arrived. Shadow entered the scene.<p>

"What do you need, echidna?" he asked in a slightly glum tone.

"Um, you know that picture of you and Maria that went missing at the Christmas party?"

"What about it? Do you know who stole it?"

"Well, no. I actually found it lying over here!" Knuckles grinned, pointing to the picture on the grass. "It must have gotten blown away!"

After looking at it, Shadow raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why did you leave it on the grass?"

"Uh... I wanted you to be the first to touch it!" Knuckles answered. "After all, didn't you say to everyone not to touch your stuff unless you let them?"

"Hah. That's true," the Ultimate Life Form chuckled slightly. "I guess you're smarter than I thought."

As Knuckles ignored that last comment, Shadow stepped over to the photo. However, just as he was about to reach for it, a *BOING* was heard. All Shadow could see was everything getting smaller and the very scene itself moving along below him.

Meanwhile, Knuckles just laughed away as Shadow flew across the sky. He couldn't exactly see the look on his face, but he assumed it was priceless. When Shadow was out of sight, Knuckles dismantled the trap (well, not exactly dismantle; more like smash it to pieces) and strolled out of the park and into town.

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><p>He had to pick some groceries before returning home to take the rest of the day off from getting rid of his 'friends.' So far, he did a good job, whether it was the earlier advice giving or the later trap setting. He reminded himself that the next victims would fall for a mix of the two. Despite that, he could sleep as a happy echidna and eventually, live in peace forever.<p>

However, as soon as Knuckles opened the door to his own home, he immediately dropped his groceries to the sight before him.

A hedgehog.

A fake Chaos Emerald Tails made.

Shocked Knuckles couldn't believe it.

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><p>Ha ha! Another cliffhanger for you guys!<p>

I consider this point of the story to be the turning point, thus, the name of the chapter is what it is. Kinda cheesy, now that I think about it...

I had other plans for Knuckles to take out everyone else before getting to Shadow, but it's another cliche for someone to get in the way when the protagonist is so close, so I said to myself, "Why not? I'll write in Shadow's interception earlier."

~Have a great day, week, fortnight, month, whatever~


	8. What Goes Around Comes Around

**I own no Sonic characters. Credits to Sega.**

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><p>Before I begin, I'd like to thank RedHerring1412 for subscribing to this story.<p>

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><p>Reply to SakuraDreamerz' review of Chapter 7: But, by who? bogey654 had some guesses.<p>

Reply to bogey654's review of Chapter 7: The hedgehog's identity is more obvious than you think. Think about the personalities of the hedgehogs we know. Who would take such a trap without dishing out some payback? And who can use Chaos Control? Hmm...

Granted, this is fanfiction, but there's a difference between merely twisting the canon and completely going against it.

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><p>A recap of events so far:<p>

Knuckles fooled Tails into time in prison, tricked Silver to meet his maker, brainwashed Charmy with a game, drowned Amy, changed Cream and led Espio and Vector to life in the middle of nowhere.

As a bonus, Shadow was lured by a picture of Maria and is now seeing her up in the sky. Or is he?

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><p>And now for the next chapter. Here begins Knuckles' struggle to get rid of a certain someone. Will it end in victory or defeat? Or worse?<p>

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><p>As soon as Knuckles opened the door to his own home, he immediately dropped his groceries to the sight before him.<p>

A hedgehog.

A fake Chaos Emerald Tails made.

Shocked Knuckles couldn't believe it.

"No... Not you again!" he gasped. "I... I saw you launch out of the park!"

"Hah. You're a fool," the hedgehog before him sneered, holding up the yellow fake Chaos Emerald. "Don't you know that I, Shadow the Hedgehog, can use Chaos Control?"

"Huh. I guess I forgot to take that into account when I made my plan."

"No one makes a fool out of me and lives to tell the tale."

The black hedgehog laughed an evil laugh and left Knuckles' house. But in just a second flat, he returned.

"Wait. What plan?"

"Uh... N-No! I was just kidding!" Knuckles lied. "I wasn't trying to get rid of you! It was... a prank! Yeah! April Fools!"

After rolling his eyes, Shadow saw Knuckles' calendar on the wall, ripped it off and showed it to him.

"It's March 15th, you dumbass," he groaned.

"Uh, I knew that!" Knuckles lied. "I was just practicing for the real thing! You know what they say: practice makes perfect!"

"It's also said that what goes around comes around," Shadow grinned as he began to leave Knuckles' house. "You better sleep with one eye open tonight," he added behind the door. "You probably shouldn't even sleep at all. You might not wake up in the morning! Ha ha ha!"

Knuckles was stubborn to that statement and didn't believe that Shadow would do anything. He thought that it was out of character for Shadow to get mad over a simple 'prank,' but little did the echidna know, he was definitely in for a surprise on this particular night!

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><p>"You utter fool!"<p>

Suddenly, Knuckles found himself on Angel Island! But it didn't look as beautiful as it once was. Instead of the lush, green grass, the very ground itself was cracked. Instead of the pillars standing tall and strong, they stood broken and weak. Instead of the sacred Master Emerald resting on the alter, the spirit of an echidna hovered over an empty alter.

Knuckles walked through the dead landscape and stopped in front of the alter.

"Are you Pachacamac?" he asked the spirit.

"Aye. That I am!" the echidna spirit boomed. "I was the leader of the Knuckles Tribe, of which you, Knuckles, are the last descendant! Now, I must ask you a question."

"And what would that be?"

"Why have you abandoned our sacred Master Emerald so foolishly!" Pachacamac roared in such a loud voice, he scared a stray crow away.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry!" Knuckles stuttered. "It's just that Eggman's been attacking us a lot and-"

"I'll hear no more!" the former tribe leader yelled. "A mere 'Eggman' should be no excuse for shirking your duty! And what is this 'us' you speak of? Come! I will show you the error of your ways!"

Just then, the whole island disappeared. Knuckles was now standing in outer space! Pachacamac introduced him to the fate of the planet because of the missing Master Emerald.

With no one to protect, Dr Eggman came to the island and stole the emerald. Then, he created a weapon so powerful, not even Sonic and friends could stop him. They, along with other heroes, were wiped out and the whole world plunged into the hands of the Eggman Empire.

The fires burned. The robots marched. The prisoners quaked. And Eggman ruled.

"No... Why did I leave the Master Emerald?"

There was no response. Knuckles turned around to find that the spirit wasn't even around anymore.

"Pachacamac? Pachacamac?"

* * *

><p>Knuckles woke up on a cold sweat. He glanced around the room nervously, wanting to make sure there were no spirits haunting him.<p>

"Was it just a dream?" he asked himself.

As his foot was about to touch the ground, he felt a hard substance. Knuckles peeked at the floor. He raged at the object he saw. It was a record player. On the disc was a picture of Shadow flipping the bird.

"Damn you, Shadow!"

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><p>Well, that's all, folks! I bet you sense a rivalry going on now. Either way, I hope you enjoyed today's chapterepisode.

~Have a great day, week, fortnight, month, whatever~


	9. Survivors Unite! Neo Team Sonic Forms!

**I own no Sonic characters. Credits to Sega.**

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><p>Before I begin, I'd like to thank Flame Silver for subscribing to this story and adding it to their favorites.<p>

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><p>Reply to bogey654's review of Chapter 8: Don't worry about it. We all make mistakes.<p>

Reply to Zoom the Hedgehog's review of Chapter 8: Yes, Tails is only eight, but he was also desperate.

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><p>This is the first chapter not starring Knuckles. Today, Shadow and the other survivors will find out what happened to everyone else and decide to do something...<p>

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><p>Shadow forced his eyelids to rise as he heard his phone ring. He struggled to reach for the phone and look at the caller ID.<p>

"Rouge?" he grumbled. "What does she want? Urgh..." He accepted the call. "What do you want?"

"Gee, good morning to you, too," the caller replied sarcastically. "Anyway, have you seen Tails anywhere? I need him to fix my security vault."

"What's wrong with it?"

During the whole conversation, Shadow heard a loud siren. After asking his question, he heard lasers being blasted.

"That," Rouge groaned. "So, have you seen Fox Boy or not?"

"Didn't you call him?"

"I did, but he didn't answer. He always answers his calls, so I know something's up."

"I'll go get Sonic," Shadow sighed.

After regretting what he just said, he scrolled through his Friends List until the name 'Faker' was highlighted in jet black. He pressed the button and waited for Sonic to take the call.

"Hey, Shadow! Never thought you'd be the one to call me! What do ya need?"

"Seen your sidekick anywhere?" Shadow asked.

"Tails? No, I haven't seen him since yesterday morning. Though I got a call from him in prison!"

"Prison? What did he do?"

"I don't know, but it had something to do with Knuckles giving him advice about getting girls."

"Knuckles... Hmm... He blabbed about some plan to me last night..."

"Plan? What plan? Well, come to think of it, Amy didn't show up for our date. She always shows up!"

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><p>After the two hedgehogs discussed why Knuckles would do such a thing to his friends, they decided to confront the survivors to get to the bottom of things.<p>

Those who didn't fall into Knuckles' trap were Shadow, Sonic, Rouge, Blaze and Omega. The five of them gathered in Sonic's living room to discuss the situation.

"I really shouldn't be here," Blaze said. "I have to find Silver and apologize to him for what I said and did to him."

"And I need Tails to fix my security system," Rouge added. "What do you two need?"

They explained everything.

"Silver!" Blaze gasped. "How? Why?"

"And how did Tails get thrown in jail?" Rouge added. "He's too nice for that!"

"THE PROBABILITY SEEMS NEAR IMPOSSIBLE," Omega stated. "HOWEVER, SENSORS INDICATE NO PRESENCE OF SILVER, AMY, ESPIO OR VECTOR. ALSO, CREAM AND CHEESE'S CHARACTERISTICS HAVE CHANGED DRASTICALLY. THIS RESULTS IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF CHANCES OF MILES' IMPRISONMENT AND SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY."

"Do you think Knuckles has something to do with it?" Sonic asked Omega.

"CHANCES ARE HIGH," the robot answered. "SENSORS HAVE INDICATED THE SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY FROM KNUCKLES."

"This is bad, guys," Sonic told everyone else. "We have to do something about this. You never know who'll be next."

"That's right," Blaze agreed. "What should we do, Omega?"

"TO PREVENT FURTHER TRAPPINGS, WE MUST DISARM CURRENT TRAPS. BY MODIFYING SOME AROUND, IT CAN BUY US TIME FOR DISARMING AND PROVIDE AMUSING RESULTS.

CHARACTERISTICS REQUIRED: CUNNING, STEALTHY

EXPERIENCE WITH TRAPS IS PREFERABLE, BUT NOT NEEDED, AS KNUCKLES LACKS INTELLECT."

Everyone turned to a certain bat. She turned to a certain 'Ultimate life Form.'

"You know, I can't do it alone," Rouge smiled. "Besides, Knuckles wouldn't hurt his own girlfriend, would her?" She pointed to herself, then Shadow. "Besides, Shadow here is more like me than any of you."

"Hmph. I'll be surprised if you're the exception to Knuckles' plan," Shadow mumbled to himself.

The five survivors assigned themselves codenames (courtesy of Shadow) and roles (courtesy of Blaze):

Sonic, the leader - Pincushion the Faker

Blaze, the powerhouse - Flame Freak

Shadow, the all rounder - Ultimate Life Form

Rouge, the stealth - Sneaky Bat Girl

Omega, the tactician - Too Serious Cyborg

Afterwards, they drew plans about what to do in each situation and sent Shadow and Rouge to their work.

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><p>While Shadow and Rouge spied on Knuckles all over town, they saw the echidna set up many traps: one with a chili dog for Sonic, one with jewels for Rouge, one with a fake strand of Silver's fur, one with plastic robot parts for Omega and many with mementos of Maria for Shadow. After Rouge sobbed about why Knuckles would fool her like that, she thought of breaking up with him. It just wouldn't work out in the end. Either way, she decided to take the jewels, Just as Rouge was going to lunge for them, Shadow stopped her.<p>

"I know you like jewels, but don't be hasty, now," Shadow told her.

"But surely we must get some kind of reward for doing the dirty work," Rouge moaned.

"Sigh... Fine... Just take it slowly."

Before they took a step, they noticed that the box of jewels was just lying there. Then, they noticed a carpet of leaves on it. If they stepped on it, a net would spring up and trap them, with the net hanging on a tree. To bypass the trap, Rouge took flight, swooped down and took the box, all without touching the ground.

"Or I could just do that," the bat said.

"Whatever. Too Serious Cyborg said to modify Knuckles' own traps, so I've got this projector here for that one."

"What will it show?" Rouge asked.

After hiding the projector in a bush, Shadow turned it on and above the leaves was a hologram of the Master Emerald. After the nightmare last night, Knuckles learned to be more aware of the Master Emerald's location, despite learning the nightmare was a trick. Rouge was told this and approved of the little follow up.

Unfortunately, while more of Knuckles' traps were being disarmed or redone, she realized that the jewels were fake and flew home to cry, leaving Shadow to do the dirty work by himself.

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><p>Unfortunately for Knuckles, he realized the 'Master Emerald' was a fake when it was too late (when he passed through and landed on the ground). After the trap was sprung, he looked at his surroundings. He then realized that he was lured to his own trap.<p>

And that Rouge could fly.

And that he should modify his own traps.

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><p>Well, it seems we've got a little competition here between pranksters. Neo Team Sonic vs Knuckles - we know the outcome of this match and story.<p>

I might put up a little sprite scene of 'Neo Team Sonic' on DeviantArt. Of course, actual artwork of it would be nice, but either way, some kind of picture will be up soon!

~Have a great day, week, fortnight, month, whatever~


	10. Utter Humiliation

**I own no Sonic characters. Credits to Sega.**

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><p>Before I begin, I'd like to thank Kosmic for subscribing to this story and Aj the human for adding it to their favorites.<p>

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><p>Reply to bogey654's review of Chapter 9: Uh... What you'll first read today is not what it looks like!<p>

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><p>Things have not been going well for Knuckles. How? Find out today!<p>

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><p>Rouge planned to break up with Knuckles. As punishment for tricking her the way he did, she would have to break it to him hard; so hard that it would break his tough outer shell, revealing his wimpy inner core.<p>

_This relationship won't work out in the end... _Rouge once thought to herself.

While there were things she liked about him, there were other things she despised. This wasn't the first time Knuckles took it 'too far.' Coupled with his temper, taking it too far became a weekly routine. She had enough.

They never spent enough time with each other, either. When they did, it ended with the 'too far' remark/action. To Rouge, all those times were forgiven, but not forgotten. After the fake jewel trap, the cord snapped. She had to lay down the line.

Flying to Knuckles, thoughts of what to say and how to say then filled her mind. Gradually, the bat's rage grew, until she arrived at Knuckles' house and let out a scream that shattered the windows.

"Argh! What was that?" Knuckles groaned, his hands covering his ears. He noticed Rouge up in the air. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?"

"I need to talk to you," Rouge said sternly.

"Well, before we do, I have something to show you."

"No! None of that, Mr 'Prankster!' I will not take another one of your tricks!" Rouge yelled as she swooped down and gave her boyfriend the stare.

"What's gotten you so worked up?" Knuckles whispered.

"Look, this isn't easy to say."

"..."

"Well, it is a little. Look, we need to break up."

"Break up? But, Rouge, I-"

"No, Knuckles. You need to understand. This relationship just won't work out in the end," the bat explained, calming down. "We have far too different personalities to connect like that and..."

After a long explanation, Knuckles remained silent. For the first time in a long time, he was starting to feel sorrow, regret and sadness. Rouge hoped that they could still be friends. As expected, Knuckles kept his slight frown.

"Well, before we break up, I have something to give to you," he said before turning to leave for his living room table. A few seconds later, he came back with a map.

At first, Rouge looked confused, but Knuckles explained that it was a treasure map for jewels each more valuable than the Master Emerald. She was skeptical, but she realized that anyone can hide jewels anywhere. Of course, Rouge wasn't won back, but she gave Knuckles a friendly hug and left for the treasure.

To take his mind off his sadness, Knuckles went to his living room and watched some good TV shows, like that one show with two kids living in a hotel and that other show with a kid and his fairy godparents.

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><p>Meanwhile, a certain black hedgehog was staring through what remained of Knuckles' right window and smirked. Everything was going according to plan.<p>

Suddenly, his phone rang. He received a message from Rouge which read 'Did he buy it?' The hedgehog replied, saying (well, texting) that Knuckles did use the map given by him. Shadow also said that with Knuckles depressed, there would be plenty of time gained to disarm more of Knuckles' traps.

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><p>Wait. What was that all about? Here's the explanation:<p>

After Rouge went home crying, Shadow did the right thing as her best friend and followed her after eating lunch. With the trademark comforting words out of the way, the two shook hands and agreed on a plan to get back at Knuckles.

Now, back to the story.

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><p>The day passed by and the next morning came. knuckles was already feeling better and decided to hang out with Sonic. With Tails out of the way, the two could finally have some 'guy time.' He called his hedgehog friend, but received no response. After wondering what was up, he decided to check up on him in person.<p>

Along the way, though, he found Tails just lying on the sidewalk! And Cream and Cheese sitting next to the body crying! Instinctively, he rushed to the three of them. the moment he stepped in between them, before he knew it, he found himself blocked off in all directions inside a cylindrical wall of dirt! He looked up. He realized that, once again, he fell for a trick! Detecting the faint scent of chili dogs, he came to the conclusion that the trap was one of his own, but sightly modified.

When he arrived at Sonic's house, the echidna found a note on the door.

'The Master Emerald is in the backyard! Check it out!'

Knuckles busted through the door and smashed through the walls until he braked in the backyard. Believe it or not, the sacred jewel was there! He was about to pick it up and return it to the alter, but he froze, thinking that it was a hologram.

"Alright, Sonic! Where's the projector!" he shouted as he shredded the bushes with his hands.

It wasn't helping. He searched for something to cut with. For some strange reason, he found his Shovel Claws. After putting them on, he continued to slash the bushes, but alas, he found nothing. After swearing to get back at Sonic for this prank, he stormed out.

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><p>Behind the scenes, a certain group of five stifled roars of laughter (well, except the big guy) behind a camera. The footage just taken would later be uploaded on the Internet for all to see.<p>

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><p>So, why were things bad for Knuckles? He broke up for nothing, fell for another one of his own traps (modified) and acted like a dumbass, only to lead to worldwide humiliation! What else could go wrong for the poor guy?<p>

~Have a great day, week, fortnight, month, whatever~


	11. Making Things Right Again

**I own no Sonic characters. Credits to Sega.**

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><p>Reply to Kosmic's review of Chapter 10: Well, we'll see how this story turns out.<p>

Reply to bogey654's review of Chapter 10: Ha ha! I think I've taken advantage of Knuckles' gullible nature pretty well in this fic.

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><p>This third day in the story has been pretty bad for Knuckles (it's becoming a standard). Last time, he broke up with Rouge for nothing (unbeknownst to him that it was a trick), fell for another trap and acted like a dumbass on camera!<p>

However, in this episode/chapter/whatever, the echidna will begin to realize that maybe he was wrong this whole time.

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><p>It wasn't like Sonic to do something like that. Knuckles pondered and pondered on why. At first, he thought that what Sonic did was done to get back at him for his friends. After all, Sonic was all for helping his friends, no matter what he had to do. Then, Knuckles theorized that it had something to do with what he had done over the past two days.<p>

He thought that maybe Tails was devastated the moment the cops busted him. He thought that maybe Silver didn't appreciate the advice he was given and currently looks down at him in rage. He thought maybe Charmy was up there with Silver, complaining at Knuckles and not playing the game; that, or he's completely lost his mind.

Why did Knuckles take advantage of Amy's feelings? Why did Knuckles play with Cream's obedient nature? Why did Knuckles toy with Espio and Vector's love for ninjas and cash?

Perhaps he let his anger over the past get the better of him. Perhaps he was wrong to get back at his friends the way he did. Perhaps the way to deal with his problem was to just talk to them about it.

Even if neither of those the case, Knuckles definitely came to the conclusion that this was going too far. Because of what he did to Tails and most of the others, Sonic, Shadow, Rouge, Omega and Blaze planned to do worse to him. What went around came around.

Realizing the pain his friends felt, Knuckles decided to tackle the situation the mature way - not by silly tricks and pranks, but with a well thought out, heart warming apology.

Like nearly everything in life and figuring out its meaning itself, there was one problem. Simply put, Knuckles was more of a doer than a thinker. If only he didn't get rid of Tails first...

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><p>Meanwhile, Neo Team Sonic regrouped and discussed a back up plan, in case either Shadow or Rouge get caught disarming Knuckles' traps. At instinct, everyone turned to Omega (Too Serious Cyborg), the tactician of the team.<p>

"ANALYZING ALL POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS AND THEIR OUTCOMES."

A green hologram of a computer screen with various calculations and paragraphs appeared before everyone. Omega's eyes flashed green as the projection flickered. In a matter of seconds, one line of text was highlighted and the scrolling froze. At once, the highlighted line flickered on and off.

"AN BLAST TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD WOULD BE THE MOST LOGICAL SOLUTION," the robot concluded. "THE IMPACT OF THE ATTACK WILL KNOCK KNUCKLES INTO A COMA. DURING THIS COMA, SHADOW AND ROUGE WILL BE ABLE TO DISARM AND MODIFY HIS TRAPS WITH PLENTY OF TIME TO SPARE."

"The attack with have to be a very strong, yet accurate, one, wouldn't it?" Blaze asked."

"AFFIRMATIVE. FIREBALLS MEET THESE CONDITIONS. SINCE YOU, BLAZE, ARE ABLE TO LAUNCH THESE ENERGY BALLS, YOU ARE TO ACCOMPANY SHADOW AND ROUGE IN THEIR MISSION."

"I see, but why can't you join them? Your weapons are very powerful, more powerful than my fireballs."

"THE ATTACK MUST BE A SNEAK ATTACK."

"So, I guess the attacker must be, uhh... not as big as you?" Sonic assumed.

"CORRECT."

"Alright, then. I'll go and upload that video, then come up with more excuses for Knuckles to come to his - excuse me, our - traps."

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><p>After about twenty four hours, Knuckles finally composed his apology speech. It was a simple one at best, but from what one can tell, it was one of his best practical works. As he reached for the front door's handle, he thought of something. If the survivors saw him read it out, it would seem fake. Bearing that in mind, Knuckles returned to his bedroom to recite the apology.<p>

About a half hour later, Knuckles got a phone call.

"Hey, hey, hey, Knux!" Sonic greeted him.

"Hey, Sonic. Look, I really need to talk to you for-"

"Hold that thought, Red. See, I just finished making this HUGE chili dog and I was hoping to share it with you. We'll get bigger shares, too, since Tails is missing."

"Yeah, as much as I would love to, this is-"

"Great! So, see you in-"

"SONIC!"

There was silence between the two friends. Knuckles remembered his problem with anger and apologized for his outburst.

"It's just that what I need to talk to you about is really, really important, more important than a huge chili dog," he explained.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing. I didn't listen to you. I was so excited about the dog, that's all."

"It's okay, buddy," Knuckles smiled. "Now can you please come to my place as soon as you can? And bring as many of the others as possible."

"But there's only me, Shadow, Blaze, Rouge and Omega."

"That'll do."

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><p>What will come from Knuckles' apology? Will they accept? Will they not attend at all, in fear of an actually devious scheme? Is Knuckles up to something? Find out in the finale! That's right, the finale! I hate to write that, but it's an author's duty to finish what they started, no matter how long it takes.<p>

~Have a great day, week, fortnight, month, whatever~


	12. The Apology

**I own no Sonic characters. Credits to Sega.**

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><p>Reply to bogey654, Kosmic and SakuraDreamerz' reviews of Chapter 11: It might not be the finale you all expected, but here it is for you all to enjoy.<p>

Reply to SakuraDreamerz' reviews of Chapters 8-10: Ha ha. I'm glad you enjoyed the moments. But you might want to start from the beginning of a story if you came from a middle point or just forgot referenced events.

And now, for the most important review reply of all. I don't like to rant, I know it doesn't help to stop the thing I'm ranting against, but it just has to be done.

Reply to Red Ceiling's review of Chapter 10: First of all, I am not a Knuckles hater and I know he's better than how I portray him. It's an exaggeration. After all I did say in the summary that characters may be OOC. Perhaps you misinterpreted it?

'Your story is a piece of shit.'

Really? And what makes my story so? Just because of how I portray Knuckles? I don't see that as an acceptable excuse. Still, it's just one problem. Are you really gonna put me down for just one problem?

You will, however, be glad to hear two things. Since this is the finale, you won't have to put up with this story anymore. Also, I was not saying that I am perfect. In fact, we are all far from it.

Anyway, now that I'm done with that, let's get right to it.

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><p>The apology has been composed. Neo Team Sonic received word from Knuckles wanting to see them by Sonic. Will they see Knuckles? If so, will they accept Knuckles' apology?<p>

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><p>Knuckles hoped and hoped that Sonic would come with the others. He really wanted to set things straight. That's not to say that he would break down in tears if no one came. He would apologize either way, but having the five survivors hear it in person seemed like the best way to go, for now.<p>

As the seconds and minutes went by, Knuckles started to feel a mixture of feelings while watching his favorite TV program. While he was happy to put things back on the right track, he wondered how Sonic, Shadow, Rouge, Blaze and Omega would respond to his apology.

Would they punish him in such a horrible way, he would feel the pain Tails and the other victims felt?

Would they accept his apology in smiles and acceptance?

Would they even believe Knuckles was serious about it?

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><p>Meanwhile, Neo Team Sonic regrouped in Sonic's place, in hopes to discuss more ways to humiliate Knuckles. However, the news Sonic gave them shocked all the team members... At first, it seemed out of the blue for him to just talk to him at this point in time. After everything the echidna did, after everything the echidna said, why would Knuckles want to see them?<p>

While they all knew Knuckles wasn't the brightest bulb of the bunch, he was able to devise all of these traps, but they came from what they loved. It was so obvious, even he could do it. However, Neo Team Sonic knew that Knuckles can sometimes stumble on words which fit the moment or say words that don't fit the moment at all. Hearing Knuckles talk in such a sophisticated manner and knowing what he's doing seemed suspicious and he can't even fake it. Taking those thoughts on board, they sought him out.

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><p>The moment had arrived. The doorbell ringing was a sure sign for Knuckles to get ready. When he opened the door, he saw everyone he wanted to see: Sonic, Shadow, Rouge, Blaze and Omega. He was surprised to see Rouge because of the breakup and he just realized it at that point. After Rouge confessed it was another trick, Knuckles was about to rage, when the reason they were here came to his mind. he took three deep breaths, then calmed down.<p>

He invited the others into the living room and offered some snacks.

"Wow, you sure are being nicer than usual," Sonic said.

"Well, what can I say. People can change," Knuckles replied.

"YOU DID NOT INVITE US TO YOUR RESIDENCE TO MAKE IDLE TALK," Omega stated. "SPEAK OF WHY WE ARE PRESENT."

Knuckles glanced at Omega for a second before getting serious. he was right. If he kept up the nice guy act, they would think something's up. he cleared his throat and began.

"Guys, I know you know I've been a jerk recently. Well, maybe not, but whatever. I've taken everyone away from you five, well, except Cream, because I couldn't take it anymore. I had enough of your stupid tricks! Everyone made me look like a fool! I mean, you know how... dumb... I may be, yet you took advantage of it!"

Knuckles was getting angry. Things weren't looking pretty and he knew it. He took three more deep breaths and calmed down.

"I'm sorry about that. I just couldn't take it anymore. But I know now that giving everyone fake advice and tricking them was not the best way to go. I should've just talked to you guys about it in the first place and I wanted to say that I'm..."

"..."

"I'm sorry. I would do anything for you guys to forgive me..."

There was a still silence.

"That's such a cheesy line," Shadow then spoke up. "But... Anything?"

Knuckles nodded.

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><p>He followed the others to Rouge's house and into her bedroom. She called certain someones to visit for something important, then whispered things so quietly, no one could hear it.<p>

The doorbell.

Visitors.

All that Knuckles remembered seeing before blacking out were:

Cream holding a maid's outfit.

Cream and Cheese holding ginormous lists.

Cheese holding a rapid fire bazooka laser.

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><p><strong>~Credits~<strong>

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><p><strong>~Written By~<strong>

UpbeatButNegative

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><p><strong>~Edited By~<strong>

UpbeatButNegative

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><p><strong>~Uploaded By~<strong>

UpbeatButNegative

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><p><strong>~Added To Story Alerts By~<strong>

Starla Nova Nebula

bogey654

Cosmo7Tails

RachieFly

Tails is FLUFFY

AndrestheAuthor

RedHerring1412

Flame Silver

Kosmic

sirwilliamblackstone

Kitty in Boots

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><p><strong>~Favorited By~<strong>

bogey654

Flame Silver

Aj the human

Kosmic

Zoom the Hedgehog

Kitty in Boots

Mr. Sandvich

Sonicgurl12345

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><p><strong>~Cast (all owned by Sega)~<strong>

Everyone as themselves

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><p><strong>~Inspiration~<strong>

I never did tell anyone the YouTube video I was inspired by, so here it is:

Type in 'Julian Petruzzelli' on YouTube, then click the top video you see (the smiling guy with the black hair).

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><p>~This has been UpbeatButNegative, signing out. I'll see you whenever~<p> 


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